Pioglitazone decreases hepatitis C viral load in overweight, treatment naive, genotype 4 infected-patients: a pilot study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Insulin resistance (IR) is induced by chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1 and 4 infections. It is not known whether drugs that affect IR such as Pioglitazone and Prednisone also affect serum HCV RNA titers independently of PEG-Interferon-α2/ribavirin treatment. The primary aim was to assess whether Pioglitazone by improving IR and/or inflammation decreases HCV viral load independently of standard of care HCV treatment. A secondary aim was to assess whether Prednisone, a drug that induces insulin resistance and stimulates HCV viral entry and replication in replicon culture systems, increases HCV viral load in this population.

Methodology/principal findings

We designed a two-arm, parallel Pilot Study of overweight, treatment naïve genotype 4 HCV-infected pat

SUBMITTER: Chojkier M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3296686 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature